Fertility Blog - Naturally Getting Pregnant

Vegetarian Diet and Fertility- Will It Work?

getting pregnant Fertility Blog, Fertility Diet, Fertility Problems, Fertility Treatments December 19, 2020September 14, 2021vegetarian diet and fertility

It’s official. I’m no longer a vegetarian. Not because I crave meat, not because I changed my mind about animal treatment, but because I believe that a vegetarian diet does not boost fertility. Or to put it more bluntly: I believe that a vegetarian diet and fertility don’t go together and contribute to infertility.

This is not the conclusion I wanted to come to as a vegetarian. But at the end of the day the facts and evidence point to animal protein as part of a healthy fertility diet. So after happily avoiding poultry for the past five years and red meat for the past fifteen years, I’m putting them back on my plate.

How did I come to this, for me, a radical decision? Research and experimentation.

Insulin Regulation is Vital to Fertility

Sifting through books and articles on fertility and health I’ve come across various studies on the effects of animal and vegetable protein on fertility. There is, however, no consensus on which source is best for improving your changes of conception. What doctors and researchers do agree on, though, is that insulin regulation is vital to fertility.

What is Insulin Exactly?

When you eat easily digested carbohydrates – like potatoes or white bread – they’re broken down into sugar and enter the bloodstream. To lower this high blood sugar level the body produces insulin which escorts the sugar out of the bloodstream and into your cells. Sounds like a good system, but the insulin spikes caused by such easily digested carbohydrates reek havoc on your reproductive system.

Linked: Reproductive System, Insulin and Protein

Dr. Ernest Zeringue from the Davis Fertility Clinic has successfully been using nutrition to control insulin with his fertility patients for years, and he describes the effect of elevated insulin levels on fertility by stating, “The insulin can interfere with the development of the eggs as they’re growing, as well as interfere with the establishment of a pregnancy inside the uterus.” (1)

Protein is key to controlling insulin levels.

Dr. Jeremy Groll, fertility doctor, research scientist and author of the book Fertility Foods recommends a diet and exercise program that “will improve your insulin sensitivity and make you more fertile.” For this, he points out, protein is critical: “Our goal in this plan is to promote lean body mass to reduce insulin, and you can’t do that without protein.”

Vegetarian Diet and Fertility- Why is Animal Protein Necessary?

What we know then is that protein is key to regulating insulin and insulin regulation is key to boosting fertility. So why can’t insulin be regulated without animal protein?

Dr. Groll admits that getting enough protein (without dramatically increasing carbs) and getting all the essential amino acids is harder for vegetarians. He does believe it’s possible, but several other fertility specialists and I disagree. And here’s why:

There are a limited number of vegetable sources of protein and each source poses a unique problem to fertility. A high reliance on beans comes with a full load of carbohydrates, which can cause an imbalance in insulin levels. Dairy and soy are very controversial as to their role in infertility with numerous fertility specialists recommending these be kept to a minimum until the jury is out. That leaves nuts which shouldn’t be relied on too heavily because they deliver a lot of fat.

I’ve tried everything as a vegetarian to make a higher protein/lower carb fertility diet work, but for me, it was a dead end (see my blog: 4 Fertility Diet Principles).

Initially, I even tried adding fish as a protein source but it wasn’t enough because the weekly recommendation is limited to just two servings a week due to mercury contamination.

It’s important to point out that vegetarians certainly can, and do, get pregnant. But for those of us struggling with infertility, adding meat into our diet to control insulin could be the missing link that our body needs.

Some vegetarians may feel like this isn’t an option due to their beliefs, but for me it’s about the treatment of animals and buying only organic ensures that the animals are treated properly and are free of toxins.

Vegetarian Diet and Fertility- Making the Leap!

I can report that I’ve made the leap. Just the other night I made baked organic chicken with ginger and steamed vegetables on the side, not quite as tasty looking as the creations on the food channel, however, still worth a photo session. I have to say that I haven’t missed having poultry over the past 5 years, but you know what, I thought it tasted really good.

Organic red meat was supposed to be next. But I chickened out. I bought it and it’s been sitting in my freezer for the past several days. I can’t bring myself to cook it. My husband has volunteered to make something “yummy”, but I’m skeptical, of the meat, not the cooking of course!

But seriously, I can better meet my four fertility diet principles (for more see my blog: 4 Fertility Diet Principles) with poultry and meat on my menu and hopefully it will bring my body into balance.

If you enjoyed reading my blog, please write a comment here or bookmark it to a social bookmarking site by using the link below. Thanks!

Digestive Enzymes, Probiotics and Fertility

getting pregnant Fertility Blog, Fertility Diet, Fertility Treatments December 16, 2020September 16, 2021probiotics and fertility

Digestive enzymes, probiotics and fertility- how are these connected?

Why do I want to upgrade a fertility diet that has done such amazing things for my body so far – like shorten my menstrual cycles, increase my energy, eliminate my acne and regulate my digestive system?

Because it seems like there’s still a piece of the puzzle missing.

Something is Not Quite Right

My cycles are still too long (at 36 days), I have a few days of spotting before my period each month, my luteal phase is short (at around 10 days), I still have an occasional bout of fatigue, and my hands and feet are extremely dry and cracked.

And for the last, more information than you wanted, observation: my stool sometimes looks very undigested. Why am I not totally digesting my food? It’s normal to see certain food in your stool, like corn (which is a good way to test the transient time of your digestive tract), but I can see all kinds of veggies. OK, I’ll stop with the ‘too much information’.

But How can I Improve My Digestion?

I turned to the books on my shelf that harbor a wealth of information. Expecting to be immersed in them for weeks to find out how to improve my digestion, I spotted a new book that I’ve been meaning to crack open for weeks: Diets for Healthy Healing.

With only a half-hour before I planned on heading to bed, I thought I’d just flip through the chapters to get a start on what the topics were. An hour-and-a-half later, I was still glued to the book.

I love when a crystal clear picture emerges.

It hit me that two of the five things the author recommended for improving digestion were missing from my diet: probiotic bacteria and digestive enzymes.

Digestive Enzymes, Probiotics and Fertility

Probiotic Bacteria

Probiotic bacteria are the friendly bacteria that live in our digestive systems. They are vital to our health and well being and are responsible for breaking down our food, manufacturing many vitamins like the B-complex vitamins and producing antibiotics that prevent colonization of the harmful bacteria.

And it’s no stretch of the imagination to think that probiotic bacteria could affect our fertility: indirectly through proper digestion and directly since these bacteria break down and rebuild hormones such as estrogen.

Digestive Enzymes

Digestive enzymes are also critically important to our bodies. They’re found throughout our digestive system and are responsible for breaking down food to make the nutrients available to our bodies.

Our bodies produce digestive enzymes, however, enzymes are also found in certain foods.

Without enzymes our bodies can become depleted and we suffer from gas, indigestion, bloating, discomfort, undigested food in our stools, undigested fat in our stools and food sensitivities.

What Do the Experts Say About Enzymes, Probiotics and Fertility?

The funny thing is that probiotic bacteria and digestive enzymes aren’t new to me. I’ve come across them before as an essential part of a healing diet.

Clinical Nutritionalist, Elizabeth Lipski, emphasizes the importance of both in her book, Digestive Wellness; Jordan Rubin presents both as vital components to his amazing recovering from Crohn’s Disease in his book, The Maker’s Diet; and naturopath Linda Page has been using them successfully with her patients and presents this in her book, Diets for Healthy Healing.

The thing is though, neither probiotics nor enzymes are highlighted as important components to a healthy diet in scientifically based nutritional books, like Eat, Drink and Be Healthy from Harvard Medical School researcher, Dr. Walter Willett.

This is why I never added them. The hard science is still outstanding.

But the reality of nutrition is that we do not understand everything – not even close.

Dr. Willett even says in the book, Eat, Drink and Be Healthy, “It will be decades before we have identified all of the complex compounds in food and even longer before we truly understand how they interact with one another and what they do in our bodies”.

Taking Action

So, I’ve decided not to wait a few decades before I upgrade my fertility diet to include foods in my diet with probiotic bacteria and digestive enzymes. There’s enough evidence and – interestingly – fermented foods, which contain probiotics and enzymes, have long been recognized as an integral part of a healthy diet, like Miso in Japan, Lassi drinks in India, Kimchi in Asia and sauerkraut in Europe.

Most importantly, I’ve come across nothing to say that adding probiotics and enzymes in their natural form can in any way be harmful (nor did I find anything about them being harmful in supplemental form – but I’m going to start al natural).

The bottom line is that I’m interested in healing myself… and as the saying goes, “The one who heals, is the one who’s right”.

Digestive Enzymes, Probiotics and Fertility Conclusion

In my upcoming blogs you’ll find me writing about which foods naturally contain probiotic bacteria and digestive enzymes, what exactly they do in the body, and how I’ll be adding them to my diet. I’ll also be writing about the effect this diet upgrade is (or is not having) on my system. Let’s see what happens…

HCG Test for Pregnancy

getting pregnant Ectopic Pregnancy, Fertility Blog December 15, 2020September 22, 2021ectopic pregnancy, hcg, hCG test for pregnancy

Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is a hormone normally produced by the placenta. If I am pregnant, the test will detect it in my blood. Today I’m having this hCG test for pregnancy.

This clinic is getting too familiar and this blood test is what I’m considering the final call hCG test!

The value didn’t go up on Wednesday and if it does not go up today then I will have broken the pattern of increasing every three days. If that is the case, it will remove the tiniest bit of hope buried deep inside that somehow this pregnancy will work and it will eliminate the possibility of a dangerous ectopic pregnancy.

hCG Test for Pregnancy- Giving Blood and Waiting for Results

Something inside me says that the value is going up. I want more than anything for it to drop. After leaving the clinic with yet another vile of my blood, I tell the lady at the counter that I will call them today for the results. If I do the calling I’ll spare myself the waiting stress – that’s the theory anyway.

I decided to call an hour early; you never know, maybe the results are in early. It rings nine times before someone picks up to tell me that I’m calling too early. I really could have known. I wait until 1:15 to call back.

It takes a couple of calls to get through. I’m relieved to hear someone pick up and ask what results I’m calling for. Before long she puts me on hold. This waiting thing is unavoidable.

I call; they call; what’s the difference. She’s back on to tell me that my hCG test for pregnancy results are still in the doctor’s office for review. I should call back in a half hour.

Can’t Get Through to the Doctor

Now my impatience is getting unbearable. Richard and I go for a walk. We only have a half hour to kill.

Naturally, I take a b-line for the phone when we get back. It’s Friday and 1:45pm I have fifteen minutes before their phones systems close and I don’t want the panic scenario that I had last week where I had to wait over the weekend.

I can’t get through. The minutes are flying by. Fifteen minutes turn into ten, which turn into five. I begin cursing their phone system.

Now, Richard is trying with his cell phone. I begin calling their other lines hoping I can get through somehow. No luck. It’s now 2:00. The phone lines are telling me that they are now closed. My brow is wrinkled in complete frustration. I haven’t stopped cursing.

What if my hCG value went up? I need to know. This could be dangerous. Worn down nerves are not a good starting point for this. I sit in disbelief with the phone in my hand and my dialing finger literally sore.

The hCG Test for Pregnancy News

That’s it I’m driving to the clinic. I need to go to the store anyway. I’ll bring my cell phone in case they call me and I’ll knock on the door until they open.

Not but two minutes into my fifteen minute drive, my cell phone pierces the silence. In a rush to get to the hCG value I pull over, rip out the head piece and answer my phone.

The caller is from the clinic, but she doesn’t offer me my value. “You are to check into hospital Kuss immediately. Dr. T is waiting for you.”

What? Where? She repeats the instructions and I ask her to repeat the hospital name and the doctor’s name. I have nothing to write with, but am hoping that the names get ingrained into my brain.

“What do I bring?” I ask her.

“You’re overnight things,” she says.

Before I let her hang up I ask her for my hCG test results value. Her voice is stiff, “It’s now over 1300.”

My heart falls into my stomach. Over a thousand is dangerous, rings in my head. The car seems to be on autopilot back home. I call Richard to tell him he is taking me to the hospital.

Packing for Hospital

I’m back at the house instantaneously and Richard is already standing in the driveway ready to hop into the driver’s seat. I forgot to tell him that I need to pack my things first – not to mention that I haven’t the slightest idea where this hospital is. When I pull up next to him I have absolutely no recollection of anything I was told. Yes, it was a mere two minutes ago, but I have no idea anymore.

We go inside. I begin packing and he starts researching to find the hospital. I tell him the details I can remember. With a few threads of information Richard manages to find the hospital and the doctor.

For some reason I think that I need to pack light so I stuff my toothbrush and shampoo into a zip lock bag and pack it in a small duffel bag with my nightgown and some magazines. I have no idea what to bring. It seems so secondary. I need to get to the hospital.

The Stress of Getting to the Hospital

The stress on Richard’s face is easy to see. I wonder if mine is just as visible. He realizes on the way there that he forgot the directions as he had left them in the printer.

“Will you find it?” I ask.

“Yes, I don’t need it,” he confidently says after a pause. He is too stressed; I can’t question him. If I doubt him now he’ll crack.

We sit in silence as he works his way through traffic to the hospital. We turn down a small road near a larger hospital.

“It’s got to be right here,” he says.

I carefully ask questions trying to jog his memory. It’s no use, we are driving in circles. He parallel parks in a disabled parking spot. It seems to take him forever to get into it.

“Are we there?” I ask carefully.

“No, I’m going to ask this person,” he says with a shaky voice. “Why are you parking?? Just pull over”.

I take a deep breath as he finishes his final maneuvering. He gets out to ask an old lady walking by. We’re in luck. I can see her pointing down the street and around the corner.

We’re basically there. We drive around the corner and park against the traffic in front of the entrance. I feel safe. If something happens now, I’m only a few steps away from help.

My Shared Room

We go to check-in. It all seems so surreal. I’m fine. I’m not in pain. The lady checking me in asks for my insurance card and if I want a single room.

“Yes”, Richard answers for me.

“It will cost extra,” she said since it is not listed on my insurance card.

Richard doesn’t flinch with his response, “That’s OK”.

I let him take the lead. I’m too scared to decide anything right now. It turns out the first single room will be available tomorrow.

How long will I be here? How will they decide if I can go home? Are they planning already to operate? This opens the floodgates for questions in my head and I fall into a feeling of being lost and out of place.

We cautiously walk into my double room. There is someone there already chatting with her parents. She has a drainage tube of blood showing from under the covers. I wince. Is that going to be me?

I set my stuff down and feel so relieved that I will have my own room tomorrow. Thank god Richard requested one. I feel strange hopping around the room while this woman obviously has a recovery period ahead of her.

The nurse tells me to put my pajamas on and the doctor will be by. Really, my pajamas? It’s still light out. I’m not sick. This is so strange. Richard feels even more out of place than me.

We both feel uncomfortable in the room with other people so we head outside to the sitting corner. I’m dressed in my pajamas and my dress shoes (forgot my slippers). We wait a couple of hours until we are told to go over to the doctor’s office next door with my paperwork. We head over and I find myself in a regular doctor’s office waiting room – in my pajamas.

hCG Test for Pregnancy- Doctor’s Verdict

Oh, the weirdness just continues. Thankfully, the waiting isn’t long and he calls us in.

He sits behind his desk with dark black hair and friendly eyes. I feel as if I know him already. Without delay, he explains to Richard and I that Doctor K feels this is an ectopic pregnancy and that is why we are here. We talk about my medical history and the risks involved in an ectopic pregnancy.

Richard and I aren’t totally convinced. What evidence is there besides the hCG test for pregnancy values indicate that this pregnancy is not OK?

He senses the hope in our voice. “Some perfectly healthy pregnancies can start off with hCG values like this”, Richard argues.

“There is a slight chance that this is a normal pregnancy but it’s not likely”, Dr. T says with a soft voice, “but Dr. K has a very good feel for these things and is often right.” He goes on to admit that this decision is based more on feelings and experience than on a definitive sign. He sees that we are losing sight of the danger of the situation. He clears his throat and says, “Some women have only a stomach ache, go to bed, and don’t wake up the next morning”. This of course brings us back to reality.

Urgency!

It’s hard to grasp that I am sitting here listening to the possibility that my fallopian tube is harboring a pregnancy that could explode at any moment. I realize that I have spaced out when the doctor begins to explain how the surgery will be conducted with a diagram in front of me. The next thing I know I am signing consent forms.

“There will be no time if I have to operate in the middle of the night”, he explains and goes on to say, “Also, I want you to know that I have scheduled the surgery for Monday so don’t be surprised if you notice that you’re already on the schedule”.

Richard is still looking a little confused why we are here on a feeling. He wants to take me home. “We don’t live far, if she has pain in the night I can bring her here immediately and we’ll probably even be here before you”, he argues.

The doctor looks like he understands our feelings but advises us strongly to leave me here overnight. The indecision hangs in the air.

Ultrasound, is there a Pregnancy?

Before I head back to my room, the doctor would like an ultrasound. I get undressed and put my legs into the stirrups as if this is my daily routine, which in the past few weeks it has been. He enters the ultrasound wand gently. Not what I expected, but it made me realize his concern. He finds nothing except a built up vaginal wall with no pregnancy. Like the 8 o’clock news: pregnancy reported but missing since week six.

Me in pajamas and dress shoes gives Richard and I both an awkward feeling as we find our place in the sitting area outside my hospital room. We discuss going home. I’m uncomfortable with it, but as a scientist I’m missing hard facts for why I should stay. There aren’t any.

In the middle of this discussion with no resolution the doctor comes up and asks of if we are discussing staying. The doctor came after us to talk to us? My trust in him skyrockets.

“You can go for a walk and out to dinner. This isn’t a jail. But please stay the night, if something happens there are people here that can help immediately,” he says softly.

Richard and I nod our head in agreement. We feel like we’re in good hands.

Going Out

I put on my clothes and we head out to dinner. We are quiet. What is there to say? We have no decisions to make; we are just hanging in midair waiting.

The most expensive appetizer looks good. I don’t hesitate. I’ll have that and the risotto. “What would we do if I started having pain right here?” I ask, breaking the silence.

“Call the ambulance?” Richard says hesitantly.

I guess we wouldn’t have any other option. The hospital is only a couple blocks away, but Richard couldn’t carry me back.

Richard Heads Home

Back in my hospital room, I notice that Richard is uncomfortable. He whispers trying not to disturb my roommate. “Why don’t you head home”, I say. He looks relieved. He hugs me and heads out the door.

It’s only 8:00. I pick up my book to read but notice spite the early hour that I’m falling asleep. I’m exhausted. Why fight it? I double check that I can reach the emergency call button and curl up to sleep.

If you enjoyed reading my hCG Test for Pregnancy blog, please write a comment here or bookmark it to a social bookmarking site by using the link below. Thanks!

Early Signs of Pregnancy

getting pregnant Fertility Blog, Pregnancy December 4, 2020September 23, 2021Early Signs of Pregnancy

Before jumping into my Fertility Blog post, let’s take a quick look at what to look out for with the early signs of pregnancy:

11 Early Signs of Pregnancy

Missed period– earliest and most reliable sign for women with regular monthly menstrual cycle.
Feeling sick and vomiting– commonly known as Morning Sickness. This can happen any time of the day or night.
Changes in your breasts– breasts may become larger and feel tender, similar to what they might feel just before a period. They may tingle and veins may be more visible with the nipples darkening or standing out.
Tiredness– hormonal changes during the first 12 weeks of your pregnancy can make you feel exhausted, emotional and upset.
Urinating more often– you may feel like urinating more often. This is caused by hormonal changes.
Constipation
Vaginal discharge– increases without soreness or irritation.
Metallic taste– unusual taste in your mouth.
Changes in what you want to eat– such as craving new foods and losing interest in foods and beverages you used to enjoy.
Losing interest in smoking– if you are a smoker.
Enhanced sense of smell– more sensitive than usual, especially with foods and cooking.

Fertility Blog- Early Signs of Pregnancy

I felt exhausted, and the last thing I wanted to do involved moving furniture from one room into another. But Woods needed to move his stuff into my office that would soon become his bedroom, so I mustered up all of my energy and began shlepping – first the bookcase, then the computer, the chair, the desk.

I stopped, out of breath, before I could actually claim an empty room and collapsed onto the stairs just outside the door. I felt like I had the flu – nauseous, fatigued, the smallest bit of effort left me feeling weak and over-heated.

Laying there on the stairs, frustrated with my sickness, until I managed to crawl to the third floor where I promptly fell asleep.

Tired and Sick

I woke late the next morning, still feeling tired and sick. Then I decided to stay in bed and get some rest before going out with my girlfriends that evening. In and out of sleep, I tossed and turned. I tried reading for some time, but couldn’t manage to concentrate on the words without drifting off into some unfortunate place between dreams and reality where all I recognized was a desire to vomit!

Dan, the man I adored and who said adored me, came in a few times to see if I wanted to accompany him on an adventure, an adventure I would normally have jumped on were I feeling up to par.

Instead I lay there, looking up at him with what I’m sure were desperate and defeated eyes. Sweet man that he was, he crawled in next to me and did some reading of his own so I wouldn’t feel quite so alone in my misery.

Eating Out

Eventually it was time for me to go meet my friends for dinner. I slumped out of bed, put on my best face, and made my way over to pick Kelly up.

Although I still felt very nauseous, I was starving and ate up everything that landed on my plate. I left fairly early and completely sober – both unusual acts for me – but I felt miserable enough that all I wanted to do was heal my body better. Lack of sleep and alcohol were not on the top of my list that night.

Realization that I Had Early Signs of Pregnancy

All day at work on Monday, I wanted to sit down wherever I happened to be and cry. I couldn’t believe how ill I actually felt. Never had I been sick like this in years. I wrote the date on a shipping form, and that’s when it hit me.

I’m over a week late!

Driving home in a stupor through a rush hour that for once failed to make me yell with anger and impatience, I walked in to Dan’s room and told him my suspicions.

“No, let’s not freak out just yet.”
“Yes, let’s give it a few more days.”
“I’m sure everything is fine – we are simply overreacting.”

Pregnancy Test

We decided not to worry until we knew what was truly causing my sickness. Yet I couldn’t shake the feeling that my sickness was actually more than a sickness. While at the store, I snuck a pregnancy test into our groceries.

Okay, okay. So we’re probably overreacting, but I decided I’m going to take a test just to ease my mind. It will make both of us feel better when we definitely know.

He looked at me and slowly nodded his agreement. Disappearing into the bathroom, I could hardly breathe. I already knew what the test would read, but at the same time I was in complete denial. Wait three minutes. Then look. One line for negative. Two for positive.

I didn’t believe it. I tried to talk myself out of it. Sure there were two lines, but one of them was so faint it couldn’t possibly be the decision-maker on such a significant event in my life. The second line was barely there – it couldn’t count. I tried to tell myself that. I tried to tell Dan that. We didn’t believe me.

“Honey, I think we’re pregnant!”

Probiotics and Fertility Part 1

getting pregnant Fertility Blog, Fertility Diet, Fertility Treatments November 19, 2020September 23, 2021probiotics and fertility

In this post I’ll be covering probiotics and fertility- that is, the little beneficial critters that live in our gut!

Life is returning to normal, so I’m back to upgrading my fertility diet. I mentioned in my blog, Digestive Enzymes, Probiotics and Fertility, that I’ll be adding two critical – and missing – components to my fertility diet: probiotic bacteria and enzymes.

What are Probiotic Bacteria?

Probiotic bacteria are the friendly bacteria that live in our digestive systems. Doctors and nutritionists agree that these bacteria are one of the most important aspects to our overall health and well being.

Dr. McDougall refers to them in his book, Digestive Tune-up, as “so important to our health and survival that they should be thought of as a vital organ”. In her book, Allergies, by Carolee Bateson-Koch writes that the cultivation of these bacteria “can mean the difference between radiant health and chronic debilitating conditions”.

Benefits of Probiotic Bacteria

It’s not a surprise that these little inhibitors are so important to us given the slew of responsibilities they have. Just to name a few of these responsibilities of probiotic bacteria:

Break down our food
Manufacture vitamins like biotin, niacin, folic acid and B-6
Increase the absorption of minerals
Normalize bowel transit time
Produce antibiotics that prevent colonization of the harmful bacteria

A Micro-biome of Life in Our Digestive Tract

Interestingly, this micro flora isn’t just a few bacteria scattered throughout our digestive tract. Trillions of bacteria inhabit our digestive system. The bacteria weigh a total of about four pounds and account for half of the volume of the contents of our large intestine.

Where Does Our Gut Biome Come From?

These bacteria begin to colonize our bodies at birth; finding their way into our system through the air we breathe, the breast milk we drink and the things we put in our mouths.

We need to continuously replenish these bacteria, though, as many don’t set up camp permanently. They regularly exit our digestive systems – making up over half of the dry weight of feces – many of which are still living (if you who weren’t grossed out enough).

What Destroys Probiotics and Fertility?

Excretion isn’t the only factor affecting the bacteria balance in our gut. Bacterial infections, hormones, antibiotics (which kill the good and the bad bacteria), high stress levels, steroid drugs, excessive alcohol intake, poor diet, and a number of other factors can throw the beneficial bacteria out of balance.

Symptoms of Improper Balance of Probiotic Bacteria

This improper balance of flora can cause the following symptoms:

Acne
Arthritis
Asthma
Ear infection
Fatigue
Headaches
Hormonal disturbances
Intestinal symptoms
Irregular heartbeat
Low back pain
Nervousness
Rashes

So, probiotic bacteria are important to our health but what do they have to do with fertility?

Probiotics and Fertility- Can it Help?

There don’t seem to be any studies yet that directly link probiotic bacteria to fertility, but there are two aspects that make it very likely that these bacteria play a role.

Probiotic bacteria influence our hormones. They break down and rebuild, for example, hormones such as estrogen. Knowing that an imbalance of estrogen can make getting pregnant harder it seems quite likely that a healthy bacteria balance will create a more fertile body.
Probiotic bacteria manufacture important vitamins like biotin, niacin, folic acid and B-6. And not that it’s a surprise, but a recent study shows that vitamins may play an important role in getting pregnant (not to mention that folic acid is important for a healthy baby – reducing the chances of having a baby with neural tube defects).

What Does Labor Feel Like? My Fertility Blog

getting pregnant Fertility Blog, Pregnancy October 26, 2020September 25, 2021what does labor feel like

Pregnancy is a wonderful experience, yet for many couples it can be an anxious time leading into labor. A woman going into labor for the first time, may not know what to expect when entering the hospital. Not knowing what labor feels like and how intense the pain may become causes anxiety. So, what does labor feel like? In this post I share my labor experience to our expectant mom audience.

What Does Labor Feel Like?- Early Stage

Labor pains feel like cramps- only they pulsate and come and go. The night before you do go into labor you may have a stomach ache.

Labor pains are not very painful until you reach about 6 centimeters dilation.

You will want to go to the hospital as soon as the labor pains are too much to handle, or when they are about 7 minutes apart.

I went to the hospital when my contractions where 6 minutes apart and the nurse told me that my cervix was opened up to 7 centimeters- I gave birth a few hours later. Do not leave it any later to go to the hospital.

When you arrive at the hospital the nurses will probably make you walk the hallways to bring on the labor. They will check to see if your waters have broken- and possibly break your waters by accident when they do check!

Labor Intensifies

At this point, the labor pains will become horrible. You will need an epidural as soon as possible. In my case the pain felt like I was being stabbed and the only thing I could think about was pain medication.

From here on, the labor will go very quickly and you will be ready to push (this still could take anywhere from a few hours to a few minutes).

You will feel a tremendous amount of pressure and you will feel like going to the bathroom.

There will be a LOT of blood. It will look as if somebody was murdered in the bathroom.

Do not be scared, this is completely normal. When your waters break there will be enough water to fill a bathtub a few inches deep- that’s a lot of water!

Do not be concerned about your waters breaking, most of the time it happens while you are sleeping.

Epidural

Make sure to get the epidural as soon as possible. The medical staff will need to do blood work before you can have the epidural. They will hoist you up on the bed and make everybody leave the room.

You will hear crunching noises and have to remain 100% still during this time. If you move and they accidently hit something, you could possibly be paralyzed. Wait until the contraction has just ended to have the epidural. Hold on to the nurse when the next contraction hits, or you will be squirming all over the place.

What Does Labor Feel Like?- Pushing

The doctor and midwife will sit down below. One nurse will hold one foot and your boyfriend/ husband/ friend will hold the other. You will use them to push against.

As you feel a contraction intensify, you will need to push. Your doctor/midwife will guide you with when to push and when to hold off. You need to push hard, but don’t make the baby fly across the room!

The doctor/midwife will help guide the baby down and out.

Once your baby is out, the doctor or midwife will suck out the fluids from the mouth and nose and wipe the baby down. At this time the baby will be handed to you.

You can hold the baby for a few minutes and then it will have his/her footprints done in the room before being put into a large heating tub. This machine will have been brought into the room beforehand.

After Birth

After labor and passing the placenta you will be taken back to your room. Your doctor will visit to check on you and your baby. He/she may press on your stomach as a check.

Most babies do not know how to latch on or drink from a bottle. Your nurse will help you.

The baby will most likely sleep most of the time, so you will want to catch up on sleep.

Do not feel as if you will break this little person, babies are very durable. Enjoy motherhood, it’s exciting! Millions of women have been through this natural process of childbirth.

A Day of Visitors After Surgery

getting pregnant Fertility Blog October 6, 2020September 26, 2021visitors after surgery

The rain hit my window outside and the dark sky showed no signs of getting lighter. It was by all means a dreary day. Before long my husband and mother-in-law came with fresh croissants from the bakery. Getting visitors after surgery is nice, but tiring.

My Mother-In-Law

We talk and, when my husband leaves the room briefly, my mother-in-law insists that I partake in her religious healing procedure. She has offered this to me on numerous other occasions, but I have always thanked her and said, “no.”

I’ve asked her to stop offering them to me but that has never held her back – today was no exception. The only difference is that today I am too tired to argue with her, and I let her do it. I swallow my frustration during the entire thing only to learn later that she promised Richard she wouldn’t mention or try any of her procedures on me.

So much for that. All I can do is concentrate on the fact that she means well and as soon as I’m better I’ll be able to say no again – which is guaranteed to be a much sharper no.

Friends

Not long after my mother-in-law leaves, several of my friends come by.

We laugh and talk about random topics. The time flies by and I relax in their company. As evening comes, they leave, and I realize the entire Sunday has gone by.

I feel so much better than I did this morning staring out at the rain. Do people know how wonderful it is to get visitors?

Pain

With the drainage tube removed in the afternoon, the pain in my abdomen is minimal. My shoulder, however, is harboring pain that’s becoming unbearable. “It comes from the gas they use in your abdomen during the ectopic pregnancy surgery to expand the abdominal wall away from the organs so the surgeons can see what they are doing,” explains the nurse matter-of-factly.

Fortunately, she has a pain medication for this. She also said walking around helps. So, up I was. Richard helps me out of bed and takes my hand as we venture out into the hall to walk off my pain. With a slow pace we walk down the hall.

We reach the end of the hall and as I look up at the doors. I can’t believe the sign that is staring me in the face. “Only authorized personnel and pregnant woman past this point.” I feel like someone just punched me in the stomach.

“I guess we can’t go through those doors,” I say sarcastically.

Richard looks at the sign and sighs. We turn around to go back to my room without saying a word.

Worn Out

It’s only 7:00 p.m. when we get back to my room, but my body is showing signs it’s tired. Richard sees my exhaustion and suggests I try to sleep. I realize I’m already dozing off.

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Signs of a Ruptured Ectopic Pregnancy, or Hope?

getting pregnant Ectopic Pregnancy, Fertility Blog, Pregnancy September 17, 2020September 26, 2021ectopic pregnancy, Signs of a Ruptured Ectopic Pregnancy

Before sharing with you my experience revisiting the doctor for more tests- the place where I had previously lost my pregnancy- let’s look at the main signs of a ruptured ectopic pregnancy… my greatest fear!

Signs of a Ruptured Ectopic Pregnancy

Sudden, severe abdominal or pelvic pain
Pain in lower back
Pain in the shoulder due to leakage of blood into the abdomen affecting the diaphragm
Dizziness or fainting

Our Appointment With the Doctor

A long weekend of crying and healing. We went into the doctor this morning. The tears tried to escape my swollen eyes.

My regular doctor wasn’t in so we saw another doctor. Although he was a little lost as to what my pregnancy situation was, he was attentive, asked questions and listened to what we had to say.

They drew my blood and took another ultrasound – that showed nothing.

Richard and I walked out exhausted. We weren’t expecting any good news, however, going through the motions and living the bad news was painful.

Was I Pregnant or Showing Signs of a Ruptured Ectopic Pregnancy?

Coming home I felt closure. I sat down at my laptop and started to begin putting my life back on track. I called about a job interview, replied to some emails and made a phone call.

Later my cell rang, as it rang I remembered that the doctor offered to call personally to tell me what my new Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) values were.

I picked up the phone hoping that he would say that my values were going down as expected, which would mean we could get back to trying soon. He said nothing of the kind.

He took a long pause before telling me that my hCG values had doubled – exactly what they do for a healthy pregnancy! “What does this mean?” cried my brain.

What Does it Mean?

Since the values already went down it couldn’t possibly be a viable pregnancy. Could it?

After firing a few questions at him it became clear that he could not explain what was going on. It was strange: simply strange.

“I don’t want to make you hopeful, but we should not give up yet,” the words he uttered rang in my ear. Not listening, I missed the first part of what he began to say to me. I was in another world. Is this reality?

As I tuned back in and heard him go on to explain that it could be an ectopic pregnancy, it could be an unusual miscarriage, but it has the potential (tiny, but existent) of a viable pregnancy.

As soon as I got off the phone I jumped on the Internet. What does this mean? I typed in rising and falling HCG values. Hit after hit: ectopic pregnancy.

Just sit and wait to see if something happens. This was the advice I had received. What if my tube explodes before anything is done? It was clear I wanted a second opinion… now!

Hanging Onto a Tiny Bit of Hope

Richard called me on his way home and I told him the news that it could be an ectopic pregnancy.

We analyzed while he drove home and when he walked in the door we decided to call his sister, who is a surgeon. Shortly thereafter she gave us the phone number of a very good OB-GYN (a doctor who specializes in pregnancy and female reproductive health).

He reassured us that there was no immediate danger if I was not in pain. “Your values are strange, however, there is a tiny possibility that it could be a viable pregnancy. I have seen so many strange values that have gone on to be health pregnancies”.

“No!”, a voice inside my head screamed you can’t go through this again. I can’t cling to a needle in a haystack probability. Too late. My heart is known for not listening to reason. I lost it. I went to the other side. The side of hope.

Richard’s sister then made an appointment for us at a very well equipped prenatal center that would do an advanced ultrasound to see if they could find the pregnancy. This would be tomorrow.

An Ultrasound to See if I Had an Ectopic Pregnancy

I woke up in a light mood. Richard sang all morning. Against our will, hope had crept back in. We worked out, had a late breakfast and went to the prenatal center. Neither of us was directly stressed.

We went into the room and immediately noticed the projector and high quality ultrasound. I lay comfortably down on the bed and watched the ultrasound projected on the wall in front of me. The doctor seemed nervous.

Uterus

She checked the uterus moving the wand inside my vagina to the left and right, up and down. Nothing. No visible pregnancy.

She then measured with Doppler my pulse in the area. We heard my pulse loud and clear. I couldn’t help but imagine that that was my baby’s heartbeat. Richard confessed afterward to having the same thought.

Ovaries

The search continued to the left and right ovaries. In case there was developing sac in my tubes. The tubes are too small to pick up on the ultrasound but if they are harboring a pregnancy then they could become visible.

We watched the black and white picture in front us. I couldn’t decipher anything.

Then doctor called in another doctor. My stomach sank. Is this good? Why does she need another doctor?

When he came in Richard and I were out of the loop. They whispered back and forth. We eavesdropped. Then I heard that they found a cyst on my left ovary. This seemed to be of concern. But it was not a pregnancy, or could not be determined to be one as of yet.

Still a Glimmer of Hope

Time to go home. Fancy equipment. Qualified people. No new information. It was time again to wait. The only factor that can shed light on the situation is my HCG value. The test is tomorrow. This is when we will know more.

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Probiotics and Fertility Diet Part 2

getting pregnant Fertility Blog, Fertility Diet, Fertility Problems September 12, 2020September 27, 2021probiotics and fertility

If you haven’t read part 1 of this blog yet, you might want to start there (it covers the basics and the potential connection to fertility): Probiotics and Fertility Diet Part 1.

Otherwise more on those critters in our gut…

Probiotics and Fertility- An Unbalanced Vaginal Microbiome

Research has found a connection between the microbiome and fertility and how probiotics improve fertility. The abnormal vaginal microbiota has been found to negatively impact the birth rate.

Studies

A Danish study of 130 women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF), researchers found that those who had abnormal vaginal microbiota had a harder time getting pregnant.

Of the 84 patients who completed IVF treatment, 29 were able to get pregnant. Only 9% of those who had abnormal vaginal microbiota obtained a clinical pregnancy, whilst 44% of the women with normal microbiota bacteria were able to get pregnant.

A Philadelphian study of 1,950 women found that a diagnosis of a common infection (bacterial vaginosis) in the first trimester more than doubled the risk of spontaneous pregnancy loss in the next trimester. It also found that the low levels of the Lactobacillus bacteria in the first trimester also significantly increased the risk of pregnancy loss.

A BJOG Publication Study with over 700 pregnant women, found that those with abnormal vaginal flora – specifically those lacking lactobacilli bacteria – were 75% more likely to have a preterm birth. Also, the risk of miscarriage was significantly increased.

Create a Healthy Digestive System with Probiotic Bacteria

The importance of probiotic bacteria in our bodies is uncontested, but how, and to what extent, we can influence this delicate balance is still being researched.

The research results are very encouraging though. Many experts recommend we ‘cultivate the garden within’ for a healthy body by adopting the right diet, reducing stress, avoiding antibiotics whenever possible, and in some cases supplementing with probiotics and prebiotics.

Foods that Contain Probiotic Bacteria and Prebiotics

We may be able to influence the balance of bacteria in our bodies with food in two ways: by eating foods that contain the good bacteria and by eating the types of food that good bacteria feed off of (prebiotics).

Choose Carefully: not all traditionally fermented foods contain these helpful bacteria. Industrialization of fermentation has lead to efficiency in production and more consistent tasting products, however, it ruins some of the healthful benefits by killing the probiotic bacteria. Pasteurizing, for example, effectively kills all the healthful bacteria.

Foods that naturally contain probiotic bacteria are cultured/fermented foods.

Foods with Probiotic Bacteria

Raw Sauerkraut
Kimchi
Cottage cheese
Kefir
Yogurt
Tofu
Miso
Tamari sauce
Soy sauce
Tempeh
Pickles (made with brine not vinegar)
Pickled ginger
Beer
Wine
Vinegar

Interestingly, cultured foods have long been recognized as an integral part of a healthy diet like Miso in Japan, Lassi drinks in India, Kimchi in Asia and sauerkraut in Europe – just to name a few.

The second way to boost probiotic bacteria is to eat foods that provide prebiotics. Two well documented prebiotics are FOS and inulin, which are naturally occurring carbohydrates found in the following foods.

Foods that Contain Prebiotics

Asparagus
Chicory
Chinese chive
Burdock root
Eggplant
Fruit (especially bananas)
Garlic
Jerusalem artichokes
Leeks
Legumes
Onions
Peas
Soybeans
Sugar maple
Tomatoes

Probiotic Supplements

Probiotic supplements are high doses of specific strains of beneficial bacteria in an easy to take form (liquid, power, or capsule). Initial studies are encouraging and suggest that probiotic supplements can be used to treat various health issues.

Numerous doctors, naturopaths and nutritionists recommend probiotics for this reason, however, the extent of the claims being made has not yet been rigorously proven through research.

Elizabeth Lipski, author of Digestive Wellness, recommends that already healthy people can maintain their healthy bacteria by eating cultured foods, but says supplements are necessary when disease producing microbes have colonized.

Dr. Haas makes a similar recommendation in his book, Staying Healthy with Nutrition, by recommending probiotics for use after a course of antibiotics or to treat yeast overgrowth, otherwise, he says, “I recommend them for one to two weeks once or twice a year…”.

It’s important to note that probiotics do not all have the same quality.

Some guidelines for choosing probiotics are:

Probiotics requiring refrigeration at the store and at home tend to be the best
Accompanying probiotics with prebiotics may be more effective since this provides food for the bacteria once they they enter your digestive system
Probiotics that include several strains are helpful

Elizabeth Lipski also emphasizes in her book, Digestive Wellness the following tips:

Different combinations will work for different people and to a greater or lesser effect.
You’ll have to experiment with different brands and see which are most helpful.
Remember to begin with a small dosage and increase slowly. You are changing your gut ecology and you want to do it gradually.

Another important aspect to taking probiotics that Elizabeth Lipski points out is that it’s not necessarily a bad sign if the supplements cause a sudden bloating, diarrhea, gas, or worsening of symptoms. She explains that, as the bad bacteria and fungus die, they release chemicals that aggravate symptoms. If this happens, she recommends beginning again and building up slowly.

Naturopath Linda Page suggests that probiotic supplements are not for everyone because each person’s digestive system is highly individual. She recommends getting probiotic bacteria from food and by supplementing with prebiotics.

The good side to this new dietary supplement is that probiotics have no toxic effects and the American Cancer Society addresses the safety of one of the more popular probiotics strains, Lactobacillus acidophilus, by stating that; except in rare cases acidophilus is safe.

Probiotics and Fertility Conclusion

Although, I haven’t covered them in detail here prebiotics are also available in supplemental form.

For my next blog I’ll be writing about how I’m getting probiotics and prebiotics, how my body likes/dislikes them along with a list of some helpful resources. Until then, happy bacteria consumption.

My Fertility Plan Revisited

getting pregnant Fertility Blog September 2, 2020September 27, 2021fertility planning, my fertility plan

This is not how either my husband or I really wanted to spend our Monday night – settling into an oversized movie chair for Ron Howard’s new movie, Frost/Nixon, sounded way better. But we both know the benefits of making and then reviewing a my fertility plan.

“We need to talk tonight.”

“About what?”

“Reviewing our fertility plan.”

Silence. A sigh. “Yes, let’s do that.”

My First Fertility Plan

Last September my husband and I created our initial fertility plan whilst on the top of a mountain.

So we settled into our usual planning area, a couple of cushions on the living room floor, and looked at the plan we drew up last year sometime after my miscarriage.

The old fertility planning looked like this:

1. Repeat liver cleanse and gallbladder flush
2. Research and implement the best fertility diet
3. Begin daily weight lifting
4. Go back for fertility mud baths
5. Go to Sharkey’s Healing Center for herbal treatment
6. Head to the infertility clinic

I did steps one through four. So why not move on to step five? Because three things happened:

I learned that it usually takes between three to eight months for natural fertility treatments to heal the reproductive system
My body has been transformed beyond my expectations by my fertility diet: my acne disappeared, my digestive system became regular and my energy returned.
My cycles went from 44 to 39, then to 36 days.

It seems like I am on to something – something that is making me healthier and more fertile!

When Should We Revive My Fertility Plan?

Revising my fertility plan to give the fertility diet the time it needs to heal my body seems like the smartest thing we can do. But how long should we allow it to run before doing a revision? Should we wait the full eight months?

Surprisingly, this was relatively easy to decide.

We talked about it for all of about ten minutes and decided that I’ll do the fertility diet for three more months by itself. Following that I will add three complementary treatments that I did before I had my positive pregnancy test last year:

Castor oil packs
Mayan abdominal massage
Fertility mud baths.

We’ll give the fertility diet and these complementary treatments the full eight months to heal my body – before moving on to herbs and then conventional medicine.

Eight months. Yes, this sounds very long to me!

Fertility Declines After 32

I’m almost 32 years old – just three years away from the age many studies suggest fertility begins declining for most women, so it’s hard to give these treatments eight full months. However, nothing I’ve tried has had such a positive effect on addressing the source of my problems and healing my body, than the fertility diet.

I’ve been following the ideal fertility diet for a couple months now, but we’re going to start counting the eight month period from the beginning of January. The reason for this is that I fell off the fertility diet wagon over the New Years period. I suffered the consequences and had to start over in bringing my body back into balance.

It was my husband’s idea to follow the fertility diet for three months before adding the complementary treatments. His idea has merit for these reasons:

Three months is generally the time it takes for the body to recover: It’s the time, for example, that conventional medicine often stipulates is needed to fully recover from surgery and it’s the time natural fertility experts often recommend as a minimum for treatment to take effect. So, since the fertility diet is healing my body, we’re giving it three full three months to do so, solo, in the hopes that it fixes a few of my other lingering problems: breakthrough bleeding, my short luteal phase and my still too long cycles.
Also, we’re moving and three months is about the time we need to settle into our new place. Seemingly unrelated to fertility, moving and implementing other fertility treatments would be counterproductive since squeezing them into our schedule is likely to add a good deal of stress.

My Fertility Plan Now Updated

So, the new fertility planning looks like this:

1. Continue following fertility diet
2. In about three months go for 3 weeks of Mayan abdominal massages
3. After the massages begin 2 weeks of fertility mud baths
4. After the baths begin castor oil packs for two cycles
5. In August 2009 go to Sharkey’s Healing Center for herbal treatment
6. After three months of herbal treatment head to the infertility clinic

This looks like a plan. A done deal. But not so fast. Our fertility planning didn’t go quite that smoothly. At step six we hit a kink – a very big kink.

We agree on the plan and all its details up until “head to the infertility clinic”. Right now we have no solution for, or have the faintest clue how we can solve our very big difference of opinion: we are both open to the infertility clinic up until the point the doctor recommends IVF.

I would consider trying IVF if the natural fertility treatments do not work on their own. My husband is not open to trying IVF – under any circumstances.

Right now we’ve agreed to disagree. We see no solution.

We’ve decided to see how the new plan goes before discussing IVF options. With our initial fertility plan we saw how quickly things can change. I think it’s important that we both know how the other feels and respect each other’s feelings and opinions. We can’t do any more than that right now.

I’m hopeful that we will never have to go down the IVF option.

So, for now, I’m going continue following my fertility diet – one day at a time.